Scarleteen

Hi, so I've been on the pill for several months now and have dealt with some odd side effects like irregular or even skipped periods. I have a few questions:
1. I'm at a pretty low dosage of hormones, would the irregularity be more likely to go away if I got put on a higher dose?
2. My mom recently said she heard the pill has a 7% failure rate; I thought this was only if you take them ineffectively (ie skipping, antibiotics, etc). Is this true?
3. I accidentally missed a pill at the end of my last cycle but did not realize until it was too late to take two. So I just started a new pack one day earlier than usual after the placebo week (I abstained from sex during that a cycle). Will this affect the effectiveness of my current cycle at all?
4. I previously posted a couple months ago how I lost a pill and you recommended I take another from a different pack so I did. What should I do if my pharmacy does not give refills? I'm missing just one pill towards the end of the pack (non-placebo) and don't want to risk getting pregnant
5. Would an IUD possibly be a better option for me? I'm getting sick of worrying with my irregular periods and I know copper ones don't typically involve that. However, I'm only 18, never been pregnant, and also concerned about the risk of it expelling itself and possible discomfort
...Whew that was a lot, sorry! Thank you very much, this site has officially saved my sanity many a time!!

Hello there, Hakunamatata!

Birth control is not my best subject (sorry!), but I wanted to let you know someone saw your post and as soon as other volunteer with more experience on this topic comes in they will answer to your questions.

Hi there,

In terms of how to handle issues of your prescription and the possibility of trying other doses or methods, the best person to answer those questions will be your doctor. Most doctors are fine with writing prescriptions so that people always have a backup pack to take pills from if needed.

Any time you miss pills, the best thing to do is check the insert that came with your pill pack (or look it up online if you threw it out; all that info will be on the pill's website) and see what they recommend. Starting the next pack a day early isn't going to be an issue though, since you abstained from sex in that previous pack when you skipped pills.

We have some info on effectiveness rates & what they mean here: Have a Little Faith in BC Your mom is incorrect that perfect use has a failure rate that high.

Also, if you want to do some reading on your own to have an idea of other birth control options before you talk to a doctor, you can start here: Birth Control Bingo!